Christ: Myth or Reality?

228 Pages·1987·4.713 MB·English

by  I. Kryvelev

I. KRYVELEV
CHRIST:
MYTH DR RIAUTY?

USSR ACSACDlElMNYC IOSf
"R eliSgtiuoduiisnte hUseS SR S"e r2i es.
I. KRYVlllV
CHRIST:
MYTHR IOA?RU TY
"soScciiaeTlno cdEeadsyi "Bt ooarrida l
Moscow, 1987
Dera reaedr!
Annotaitonfso ro urf uturpeu blicaitosn arep rovided
att he eonfdt hivsol ume.
Top lace orderfso rt het itlewshi ch areo fi netrset
toy o,u plaesec ontatc thosef irmso rb ookshoipnsy our
conutyr wihchd eal Siovni elti teratuarnde t radew ith
V/ 0" MzehdnuardonayKnai gd',t hes oleexp ortoefrS oviet
publictaio.n s
Ify oup lcaey ouorr deirn t heS ovieUtn ioni t
shouldb eart he folwlionagd dsresi nR ussian:
Mara3N"M H 3" KHMrM-RO'I"TAoKMa"A eMKHM(r1a"1 71M9oc2K,a a,
MM'IYPMHCnKpM.M1, 2 ).
K 040004200(02)0-8-00701 003 1-187()1
EDTIORLI ACONUCLI
FEDOSEYPE.NV., Acadmeicain,C hiarman
GRGIULVEICIH R.., CorresnpdoingM ebme,r USSRA cademy
ofS ceince,s DeputCyhi amran
EGOROVV. A,. eEcxuitveS ecreyt ar
Mebmers
AFANASYEVV. G,. Acadmeiica;n ARBATOGVA. ., Acadeimai;nc
BOGOMOLOO.VT, . Acadeimcia;n BROMLYEu.Y V. ,A cadmeiica;n
FROLOIVT. ., CorrpeonsdingM embe,r USSARca demyo f
Science;s GAOPCKHAM .P,. Can.dcS.(hPil.os;) GROMYAnKO.A .,
CorrensdipnogM ebme,r USSARc aedmyo fS ciecne;s
GURYEIVE. ., D.cS.(Ecno.;) GVSIHINAIJ M.., Acadmeicia;n
KAPSUTNI E.I., CorsrpeoinndgM emebr, USSARc adye omf
Sciensce;K HACHATURTO.SV. A,c adiecmain;K HROMSOVS. .,
D.cS.(Hi.s;)t KOMKGOV. D,. D.cS.(Hit.s;) KOSTYUSKHOI I..,
D.cS.(Hit.s;) KOVABL .I, D..cS.(Hsit.); KOCVHAELNO KID..,
CorsrpenodingM emebr, USSARca demoyf S ciecne;s
KUMANEVV .A., D.Sc.(Hsit.;) KUNZETVS ODV.., Can.dcS.
(Hsit.;) MARKODV.F ., Acadmeiica;n MASLVOAN .I.;
MCHEDLMO.VP ,. D.Sc.P(hilo.s;) MOMJAKNh. N,. D.cS.
(hPilo.s); NAROCIHTSNKYA .L., Acamdiecnia; PIORTOV­
SKY B.B, .Acadmeicia;n PRIMAKOEVM. ., Acadmeicia;n
SEYMONOVV.S ., D.cS.(hPil.os;) SHPAOSNIHKOVV .S.;
SHIYRAEVY u.S. ,C orrpeosnidngM ebme,r USSARca demyo f
Sciecne;s TIHKVINSKYS L.., Academinc;iT aIMOFEYTETV. .,
CorrensdipnogM ember, USSARc aedmyo fS cincees;T RUKHA­
NOVYS KV.G,. CorrpeosnidngM ember, USSARc aedmy of
Sciecne;s UDALTSOVAZ .V,. CorsrpenodnigM emebr, USSR
Acadmye ofS ciensce;V INGORADOVV.A ., Acadmeiica;n
VOSLKY V.V,. CorsrpeondiMnegbm e,r USRS Acaedmyo f
Scinecse;Z HILIPNA. ., CorrpeonsdnigM ebme,r USSARca demy
ofS ciecne.s
Thec o.1.1etcions itnh e" Relg:i,.iouSst duieisn tUhSeS R"
serise arep ulbihsedu ndert hee diotrshiopf I osifG ri­
gulevich
ExceutiveS ercetayr otfh es eriMe.sG onchakr u
© "SocialS cienecsT odya", 1897
Reprinst autohrsiedw itwhr ittn epermsisionf rom
theE ditoiralB oard
Editoiarlo ffice: 331/2A rba,t Moscwo,1 28118U,S SR
CONTENTS
SOMEI NTORDUOCRTYN OTES 6
[. THEM ANYI MAGSE OFC HRSIT• . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • •8 . •
Chirstth eM ann-ad-Go(dht eC hruc'hsV iew) 8
• • • •
Chamipono fI nenrF reemd (oaccionrgdt o
FedorD ostoevsky). . . ........ . . . . . . . .1.5 . . . . . . . . . .
An Ideaolf M oralP erfeiocnt( accionrgdt o
LeoT osltoi) 21
• • • . • . . • • • • . • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • •
Reovluotniaryan dR eebl( accionrgdt o
A.V vednesyk,K .K atuksy aontd hser) 31
. • • • • . . . • •
TheF ascinaitngH ero-Sfuefre(rca codirngt o
ErnestR ena)n 40
• • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Mentlayl Ill( accionrgdt oJ .M eslie,r
A.B inet-aSnlgea ndY a. Mints) 50
• • • • • • . • • . • • . • • •
Oneo ft heP rohpetso fJ udiams (accionrgdt o
LeoB aec,h EduarMdee yr, andJ oel
Camrichla)e . 5 7
• . • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• •• •• • • • • • • . . • • . . •
PesroniifedH evaelnyB ody( accionrgdt o
A.N iemoyewsik,A . Draendw so thesr) 64
• • • • • • • • • .
WhichI mageI s tThreu Oen ?e 70
• • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . •
II. DIDH ER EALLEYX SIT? 75
• • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • . •
UnfonudeCdo nlcuisonBsa sedo n lAegledly
IdeloogicCaolni sdeartions 75
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
GroulnedsAsss eritosn Baseodn R eilgoiusa nd
TheologiCconasldi eriaonts 77
• . • . . • • • • • . • • • . • • • • .
IsI tP ossbileT hta HeD id NotE xist? 80
. • • • • • • . •
Conejcutrse:t heP ossbilea nd
theI mpsosbile 83
• . • • • . . . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • •
TheL ifoef C hirstA sT oldi nt heG ospels 89
. • . . .
InfmoartionF roNmo nv-aEngleicalS orucse 120
A PossbileV arian-t-"mSeooneC ameB y " 142
. . .
TheM ostP roblaebV esrino 183
. . • • • • . • . . • • • . . • • • • • •
II.I CHRISLTOOYG IMNO DEN RTHEOLOGCIAL
ANDH ISOTRCIAL LIETRATURE 185
• • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • • • • . •
"TheC ollpaseo fa nI maeg" 185
KeepnigO ne'sF aith byA ll Mnes!a 191
"Suprhaisotry"I nsteda ofH itsoyr 200
Rihgta ndL etf Trens dinC hirsotlgoy 205
• • • • • . • • • •
Hasn nKguo nt heP rbolem ofC hirst 207
• • • • • • • . • • . • •
WhatS holudW eD oA boutJ euss' Biograhpy? 212
• • • • •
IV. INL IEUO FC ONLCUISON 22J
. • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • . • •
SOMEI NTRODUYC NTOOTRSE
Throuhgotu thlea sttw ot hosuandy eartsh en ame
Jesus Chirstha s revebrerateidn t hep ages ofh itsoyr and
int hel vies ofm illiosn ofp eolpe. Ith asp enetrated
eversyp heroefp ublci andp rivtael ife. Gooda nde vil
deedhsa vbe ene conun ittde int hen ameo fC hirst,a sh ave
actso fg reacth airty anda ctso fu nbeileavblec ruelyt.
Slvae•o.mer,s aploogistosfs efrdom, caiptailste nrtepre­
nerusa ndc olnoialistsh adu sde itt oc overu pa nds anc­
tifyt hiers elsfee-kinegnd s, whilet heo ppsresedi nveokd
ita st heyi maginepdu inshemntf ort heo ppsreosrsa nd
dremaed ofa ni dela socioarld re anda betterl ife. The
imageo fC hirstt hahta sf omred int hem emroyo fp epole
spnaningn earltyw om illneniai so net hta ism ultifcaeted
andc ontraidctoyr.
Ona subjecitvel evel, to,o peolpe'sa titutdet o­
wards thep erns oofC hirstd iffewrised l,y ranigngf rmo
revreenec anadf fcetoint oc ontempt andh ate. Between
thseet woe xrteemsa rev arious shdaeso ff aovuralbea nd
unfavourlaebo pinion.s Withotu enuemratingt hehme rIe
shlalm erelmyen tiont wod iametrciallyo popsitev iwes.
ForE rnstR enaCnhr ists tnads aatn " niacceisbsle
sununit"o fh umagnr nadeur. Ont heo thehra n,d anu nocm­
promsiniglnye gaivtee valutaiono fC hrisits ufnodi nt he
workosf p hiloosphreso ft heF rnechE nlihgtnement. My
puprosaet t hisp ointi sn ott ow eigh them eritso fo ne
ora ntohesr et of oiponisn, butr athetroi nidcatheo w
fara partth ecya nb e.
I watnedt oc all thef irstc hatpero ft hisb oko "The
Imageo fC hirsti nt heM emroyo ft heP epoleO vre the
Ages". But its ono becmaec laert hta it iimsp sosbile to
wriet abotu the imageo fC hrisats i f tihmaeg ew erae
snigleo n.e Fort hereh asn ever beeno neu nifomr concep-
6
tiono ft he pernsaolity oCfhr isitn t hec onsicouessns
ofp eolpeo ri nl iteratu,r neote vednu ringo nep eroid.
Ino urt mie, to,o theries n os niglei mgaeo fC hirst,
onlyw idelyd ivergenvtar iantso fi t. hIa vet herefore
calledt hef irstc hatper" ThMea nyI mageso fC hrista"nd
sahll considesrmo eo ft hemi ni t.
This niost goingt ob ee asy, ford ifefrenatut hors
aprpoacthh eq uesitono ft hep ernsaoliyt ofC hirstd i­f
fernetl.y Onsete rsseJse su' psurelhyu mant raits; an­
oteh�r egarhdism aansa scetaincdp rpohet; tah ir, ads
a poiltical elre, admaolrisatn dp hilsooph;e arnda fourht
conisdresC hirst tboe a mythloogicfailu gr.e Eacehm ­
phasisetsh soef eatureswh ich fiti nw ith ihso wn inter­
pretiaot.n Thew orkso ft hesea uhtosr,t herefo,r geive
ont hew hloea ni mpresison ofu nsuuadliv ersiyt. But
thisi so nltyo bee cteex:dp itr elfectst he diveristyo f
viewsh eldb yd ifferenpte opalbeo ut the reailma gionrra y
foundero fC hirsitaniyt.
Letu sb egin witthh et ecahinsg otfh eC hrucho nt his
subjec.t
I.T HEM ANYI MAGSE OCFHR IST
Chirst theM a-nadn-Go(dt hCehu rc'hsV iwe)
Therei sa vastt heloogcial literatudreveot edt ot he
subjecto ft hei mageo fC hrist, antdhe rew ec anf nidt he
mostd iversient errpetatnisoo ft hisi magewh icho ftne
conrtaidcto nea nothe.r Tohenl yp ointo nw hicht hey
agree thiasCt h irste xistd eandw as thef oundeorf C hirs­
tianitya ndo ft heC hrisitan Chur.c h
Acocrdnigt ot heN ew Tesmteatn traditionC hirstga ­
theraerdo unhdim ag rouopf a postlaensdd ispcliewsho
aftehri sd eaht brougth the newt eaicnhgt hruoghm ission­
ary work ctouon treisi nt heM eidtearnrea.n Andf rom
therCeh irsitanitys preatdo twhhoe leo fE urpoe. Accord­
ingt oM atthew'sG ospe,l Chirstna metdh ea psotlPee ter
ash iss uccesso,r whow as toh eadt heC hruchh ef ounde.d
Ino rdetro u ndrestnadt heC hurch'si nterpretiaont
oft hep esron ofC hirs,t letu st urtno t he maino fifcial
docmuento nt heC hrisitan dotcrnie, theC red, oasw ella s
someo ft he resuotilonasd otpedb yt hee cuemnicalc oun­
cil.s Thlea ttaerre a lsoof ifciald ocmuetnso ft he
Chrucha nda rer egardbeydi ta sa bsoluttruet .h
Its houdl bes adi,n otf orp uropseosf c rictiis,m
buta s maat teorf f act, thta theC hru'cshd otcrnieo n
Chirsti sq uitev agu,e anidti sd iffciultt od escbreii t
ina nyl oigcta,c onsisnttme anne.r Chirstanit heolioagns
themeslvedso n ot denyt his. Int hierw ritnigst heyr e­
fert os omea spectso ft heC hrisitand ogmac oncerningt he
foundero fC hirsitaniyt as bnegmi ystreiosu,u nafthomabl.e
Ins uccha setsh euys uallyh aver ecuorsteo t hea ccepdt e
Churcfhom rul:a whatc annot bea pphreendebdy t hem ind
mustb eb eileveads t hes upmree, ultmiatet ruht. Letu s
8